Rail-joint.



P. T. FIEHLER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1913.

Patented NOV. 11, 1913.

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Application filer]. May 17, 1913. semi No. 768,371,

To all whom/i715 may concern 7 Be it known that 1, PAUL T. FIEHLER, a citizen of the United States, 1'esiding at Gordonville, in. the county of Cape Girardeau and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improve 'ments in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints, and an object thereof is the provision of a joint by means of which a pair of rails are securely connected together without the necessity of passing bolts or other similar fastening devices through the rails.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a pair of rails, the'nieeting ends of which are provided with interlocking means, and the base flanges of the rail having upstanding flanges formed thereon, locking plates being adapted to slidably engage between the upstanding flanges and the webs of the rails to hold the same in interlocking engagement with each other.

With these and other objects in view, my inventionconsists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my rail joint; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing the connection between the rails; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 1 is a section on the line i -'4: of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, the numerals and 6 designate the meeting ends of a pair of rails, the meeting end of the rail 5 being provided with an enlarged web 7, the web 7 and the base flanges 8 projecting beyond the tread 9 thereof. The extremity of the tread 9 is beveled, as at 10, and the projecting portion of the web 7 is formed with a vertical longi- A projection 12 which is beveled on its rear face, as at 13, extends upwardly into the groove 11 near its forward end. The free longitudinal edge of each base flange 8 is provided with an upstanding flange 1 1 whereby grooves 15 are formed between the flanges 14: and the opposite faces of the web of the rail. The rail 6 is also provided with an enlarged web 16, the web 16 having a reduced extension 17, and "the tread 18 of the rail also'havinganjextension which projects beyond the base flanges 19111? the rail substantially the same distance of the prd jecting portion 17 of the web. The ex treinity of the projecting ortion of the tread 18 is beveled tense, forengageihenc with the beveled portio'rilO ofthe tread of the rail 5, whereby a continuohs tread rail is provided when the rails are connected. The projecting portion 17 of the adapted to fit into the groo'i' e 11 in the rail 5, the projecting portion 17 being provided on its lower edge with a recess 21 for engageinent in the projection 12 "of the rail 5, the forward wail of the recess being bet eled, as 22, whereby the projection inay readily engage in therec'ess. The free-ion;- gitudinal edges'of the baseflanges 19 of the rail 6 are also provided with upstanding flanges 23 which are adapted toco-act with theflanges 14 formed on the rail 5 to provide substantially continuous flanges, and slidably disposed in the longitudinal groove thus provided between the flanges 23 and 14 and the opposite face of the webs of the rails are looking plates 24, one edge of the plate bearing against the end face of the treads of the rails, and the opposite edge of the plates bearing against the upper face of the base flanges of the rails. Each of the plates is provided in one end near its lower edge with a vertically disposed slot 25 in which a locking pin 26 is slidably disposed, the slot in the plates extending above the upper edges of the flanges 141 and 23 a sufficient distance to allow the pins 26 to pass over the flanges. Each of the plates 24 is provided on its opposite end with a stop 27 for limiting the sliding movement of the locking plates, and when the plates have reached the limit of their movement, the slots 25 are disposed beyond the edges of the upstanding flanges, whereby the pins 26 are allowed to drop or move downwardly to lock the plates 241 againsta'ccide-ntal displacement.

In the practical use of my device,the rail 5 is placed in position upon the track, and the rail 6 is raised slightly and the reduced extension 17 of the web is engaged in the slot 11 of the rail 5 so that the projection 12 engages in the recess 21. hen the rails are in this position, the locking plates 24 are disposed between the flanges 14c and 23of madame. iii, this,

the rails so that the heads of the pins 26 are i disposed between the opposite faces of the webs of the rails and the inner faces of the locking plates. The plates at are moved longitudinally of the rails so that the pins 26 may drop behind the ends of the upstanding flanges, whereupon the several parts of the oint are held securely in their relative positions. When it is desired to disconnect the rails, it is merely necessary to raise the pins 26 so that the plates can be moved out of engagement with the upstanding flanges 14 and 23, whereupon the rails may be readily separated by lifting the end of the rail 6 slightly to disengage the projection 12 from the recess 21.

of said locking plates each being formed with a vertical slot, and pins slidably disposed in the respective slots, said pins engaging the inner ends of the respective upstanding flanges of the other rail, for the purpose specified.

2. A rail joint comprising the meeting ends of a pair of rails, said rails each being provided with a longitudinal flange spaced apart from the rail web, a locking plate adapted to be slid between the rail web and the flange and being provided with means for preventing movement longitudinally of the rail in one direction, said locking plate being provided with a vertical slot, and means seated in the vertical slot and adapted to be alternatively moved the-rein out of and into engagement with the flange of one of said rail ends, for allowing or preventing movement of the locking plate lon gitudinally of the rail in one direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL T. FIEHLER.

WVitnesses:

CHRIST STEIN, H. W. BUHR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

